1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to computer security.
2. Description of Related Art
Secure protocols, such as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, are widely utilized to protect data transmitted on the Internet, such as between a user's application and a web site server. Often, the connection is secured by using a certificate returned from the web site to share a key with the web browser of the user's computer system. In some instances, a user is prompted for input of one or more user credentials, such as a username and password and to validate the authenticity of the server. In other instances, the only user interaction may be to approve the certificate returned from the web site.
The web browser typically checks to see if the signer of the certificate matches a known signer, e.g., a Certificate Authority, stored in a certificate, such as a certificate installed in the web browser's certificate store. If the signer of the certificate matches a known signer in the certificate, the web browser allows the connection. If the signer of the certificate does not match a known signer, the web browser typically generates an alert notification to the user, so that the user can determine whether or not to continue the connection.
Thus, when an alert notification is not generated by a web browser, a user typically assumes the web site was legitimate and the correct web site, i.e., is not a malicious web site. Unfortunately, new computer attacks are resulting in the redirection of users to malicious sites over secure connections such that no alert notifications are generated by the web browser, and the user is unaware that the web site may be a malicious web site.